www.sisinc.org

Experimentation, USV’s, and Autonomy

Presented atASNE Intelligent Ships Symposium

May 2015

Carl ContiCAPT, USN (Ret)

Spatial Integrated Systems, Inc.carl.conti@sisinc.org

Warfighter Driven

Fleet Experimentation Continuum

2

Concept Driven Solution Driven

VisionConcept

Generation

Concept Development

Knowledge

OPNAV / USFF / NWDC NWDC / NWC / NCCs USFFC PEOs / WCOEs

Road MapsCapabilities

Technology

DOTMLPF- P

Solutions

TTP

WorkshopsBOGSATSeminars

The Mission, The Threat, The Problem

Warfighting Challenges

Capability Gaps

JUONS/UONSWargames

M&S

LOEs

Fleet Experiments

Today

Fleet Experimentation Timeline

Valiant Shield / TW Sep

C7F AOR

RIMPAC / TW Jun-Jul

SOCAL to HI OPAREAS

ASWEET

SOCAL SCORE

Bold Alligator

VACAPES

FY Fleet Experimentation Overview

Terminal Fury

PACFLT AOR

Black Dart PT Mugu Sea Range

C3F ExerciseDates and Location

TBD

FBX xxDates and Location TBD

USV Capability Evolution

2009 2014

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) directed Chief of Naval Research (CNR) to investigate the possibility of exploiting technology advancements in the field of robotics and autonomous systems into a potential offensive swarm capability using common USN small vessels

Conducted 11-14 Aug 2014, on the James River, VA

5 Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) under “CARACaS” Autonomous Control – A first for US Navy

Demonstration of:• Escort of High Value Unit• Collaborative Attack on “Red” Contact of Interest• World Model Fusing Static and Dynamic Objects• Shared Fused Situational Awareness (SA) Picture among USVs and C2• Obstacle Avoidance• Maritime Rules of the Road (COLREGS)

Swarm Demonstration/Experiment

•OPNAV Director, Innovation, Test and Evaluation, and Technology Requirements (N84)•Office of Naval Research (ONR) •US Fleet Forces Command•Naval Warfare Development Command•Naval Expeditionary Combatant Command•Naval Sea Systems Command•US Coast Guard•Army Applied Aviation Technology Directorate •Maritime Administration

Swarm Government Team

Swarm Autonomy Technical Participants

Spatial Integrated Systems, Inc. (SIS)• Demonstration lead/Lead system integrator• Hardware integration• Autonomy behavior development• World Model supporting autonomy and cooperative data

sharing

NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL)• Intelligent, goal-directed autonomy using the CARACaS

autonomous control engine• Autonomy architecture and templates• COLREGS-aware motion planning

Daniel H. Wagner Associates (DWH) and Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL)

• Data fusion using the Decentralized and Autonomous Data Fusion Service (DADFS)

National Aeronauti cs andSpace Administration

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of Technolog yPasadena, California

Swarm Objectives

• Objective: Validate, on-water, key technical enablers for collaborative operation of multiple autonomous USVs for offensive operations.

• Key enablers were: – 1) Distributed, fast, low bandwidth fusion of sensor data

among multiple USVs

– 2) Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing (CARACaS) autonomous control.

Vessels for Swarm Experimentation

Vessels from Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) Combatant Craft Division (CCD) and Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD):

• 7m RHIB • 11m RHIB with cabin• 11m RHIB without cabin • 27ft Harbor Security Boat (HSB)• 38ft Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC)

Vessels equipped with commercial SIMRAD CW marine RADAR

Vessels from Atlantic Targets and Marine Operations (ATMO) • Eight remote controlled USVs

(plus four spares)• High Value Unit (HVU) /

Command Ship Relentless.

Autonomy Engine: CARACaS

Open Architecture Autonomy Engine CARACaS designed using JPL flight-derived technology with an integrated blend of hard real-time and periodic process control.• Fee-free licensing available for government work.

Demonstrated for maritime autonomy:• Full onboard, self-contained sensing and decision making• Safe navigation of vehicles guaranteed by onboard hazard

detection/avoidance, with COLREGS compliance• Mission planning, resource- and fault-aware replanning• State-of-the-art camera-based perception systems

Maritime autonomy experience for US Navy / ONR, DARPA, OSD, and NOAA. Highlights: 2014 CNO USV Swarm; Current PMS 406 Technology Transfer Agreement (TTA) Level C; Trident Warrior 2009-2012; FLEX 2012; DARPA ACTUV autonomy and perception; Littoral Combat Ship program; ONR Swampworks autonomous perception projects; Griffin demonstrations; Operation Adaptation exercises.

Mars Exploration Rover

CARACaS

# of

Aut

onom

ous

Beh

avio

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ssM

ore

Hum

an I

nvol

vem

ent

Less

Mor

e

Automobile Self

Parallel Parking

Aircraft Autopilot

AutomobileAdaptive Cruise Control

AutomobileCruise Control

Examples:

AEGIS in “Robo-Cruiser”

mode

Mor

eLe

ssR

OE

Res

tric

tions

Aut

onom

y N

eed

by W

arfa

re P

hase

Phase 0

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Mor

eLe

ss

Full Manual Control

Full Auto Control

11M RHIB

Com

pute

r In

telli

genc

e Le

vel N

eede

dM

ore

Less

CARACaS

Remote Control

Autonomy “Thermometer”

War “Phases”

Hos

tile

Act

ions

Mor

eLe

ss

Car

Military Civilian

Self-DrivingCar

Aircraft “AutoLand”

CARACaS = Autonomy

Autonomous Control - Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing (CARACaS)

“Autonomy in a suitcase”

Demonstration Area

Swarm in Escort

High Value Unit under Escort by 5 USVs

HVU

HSMST

ASV

Swarm in Formation in Escort

COI

ASV

Swarm in the Attack

We’re building Skynet.........

our job is to ensure the robots don’t kill us.

The Terminator Dilemma:

Video and Questions?

ONR – Article and Full Video:http://www.onr.navy.mil/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2014/autonomous-swarm-boat-unmanned-caracas.aspx

Video to play during questions

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lc9on1j3j0qzibb/cnr.mp4?dl=0